What Does Genuine Faith Look Like?

While in Rwanda I promised I would share the key thoughts from Mark 5 about the faith of Jairus that I taught the pastors in their preaching course.   I think you will agree that this Jewish leader truly demonstrates what genuine faith actually looks like.  

Jairus was a synagogue ruler who had one twelve year old daughter who was one year away from marriageable age in the Jewish culture.  Unfortunately, she had become extremely sick and Jairus decided that his daughter’s life was more important than his job, his reputation, prestige and money.  You know why?  Because he decided to put it all on the line and publicly seek out Jesus for healing.  That was likely the deathnell for any hope of maintaining his personal reputation, perhaps even his job!

That leads us to the first principle of what constitutes saving faith.

I. Genuine faith always focuses on the right object. Vs 22

People today love to talk about faith, but true faith has to have an object!  So many people say that they have faith in positive thinking, faith in religious values, they even have faith in faith!, etc etc.  But Jairus teaches us by his example that faith is really useless unless it is focused and exercised on the right object. The object always has to be Jesus Christ, and nothing else!  When you come to Jesus, you have come to one and only Son of God who came into the world to die just for your sins.  Jesus says that,

          “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No man comes to the Father except through Me.” (Jn 14:6)

Jairus demonstrates here who and what the object of his faith is, and it's none other than the Savior of the world Jesus Christ.  By the way, in coming to Jesus to heal his daughter he demonstrates the failure of so many other things in his life.  He shows that his religion can't help him, his synagogjue can't help him, his family can't help him, and all of his power and influence are empty in givng him back the one thing that really matters.  That leads us to our second of four points.

II. Genuine faith is recognized by it's humility Vs 22b-24

We notice immediately that Jairus didn't come demanding anything or any special treatment because of who he was.  He didn't send an entourage or have anyone speaking for him.  He came himself, and as we see here he came as a broken man without any pretense or pride.  He fell at Christ's feet which shows he is fully submitting to the power and authorithy of the Messiah.  Wow!  It doesn't get any plainer than that.   But then, Jairus "implores him earnestly" which shows us the depth of his humility. Jesus knows why he has come, but Jairus pleads as a desperate, broken, and empty man.  There is nothing upon which Jairus stands here other than his hope in Christ to heal his dying daughter.  No pretense of having anything else, he literally begs Jesus to act on his behalf.  Peter reminds us here,

         "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."  (I Pet 5:5)

Both of these principles can be observed by anyone who comes to Jesus Christ to taste of His saving power!  And you can mark it down, someone who comes like this provokes Jesus to act.  Notice the last part of this portion of the text, it simply states, 

           "And Jesus went with him"

What a tremendous portrait of genuine faith as it reveals its focus on Christ and it's humility in seeking what only Jesus can provide!  I will share the next two and final principles of genuine faith in my next blog.  See you then.